Finding long term accommodation in Japan

Advice on using real estate agents in Japan

Types of real estate agents in Japan
There are a variety of real estate agents in Japan but the two main types are the small, local agents in suburban areas which are often family run, and the larger agencies which have outlets in many locations, often close to train stations.

Local real estate agencies
There are advantages and disadvantages to using local real estate agencies and the service can be from exceptional to terrible depending on the particular agent. You can occasionally find great deals through the local agencies because there are less places available and not as many people going to view them. Another positive is that much of the information at the smaller real estate agents will never be found on the internet because many of these places are family run businesses and often they are the only ones with access to the information.

Large real estate agencies
An advantage of using the larger agencies is that they have computer systems which can access a lot of information quickly and you usually get a generically high standard of service. The staff is also usually fairly professional and up-front. One disadvantage is that the service can be a little aggressive and they may try to sign you up on the day you go in.

Potential issues

Language
Although a lack of Japanese speaking ability can hamper your chances, it many cases it is not essential that you speak Japanese. Many of the agencies do not have English speaking staff, but if you present yourself well and have someone who speaks Japanese to assist you, in most cases you will not be refused outright due to lack of language ability.

Discrimination
When using real estate agents in Japan it is likely you will come across discrimination of some kind. Some of the most common causes for foreigners being refused an apartment or hosue are 1) because Japanese tenants often believe that foreigners have a lack of cultural understanding when it comes to being courteous to neighbours (i.e. foreigners party too much and can potentially cause trouble for other tenants) and 2) many tenants believe foreigners either cannot or do not understand how to separate their garbage correctly and place it in the appropriate place on the designated day. Letting the real estate agent know they have nothing to worry about on these two points can sometimes make a big difference.

Guarantor
In order to proceed with the lease contract, you usually require a guarantor, which is either your company or an individual. The company must be a registered office in Japan and in the case of an individual they must have a minimum monthly income of approximately three times the monthly rent of the property in question. For a small fee (usually about half a months rent) there are several agencies in Japan which can act as your guarantor if you don't have one.

Alternatives to regular Japanese rental brokers
Covered in separate articles, there are good alternatives to regular Japanese real estate agencies such as the government owned 'Koudan' (public) housing projects such as Urban Renaissance Agency (UR) which started out as the Japan Housing Corporation in 1955. There is also other 'Koudan' housing which is owned by the prefectural governments. The 'Koudan' housing is a good alternative because not only do they offer high qualty housing at comparitively cheap prices, they also do not discriminate against foreigners. UR housing offers a new style of modern housing and the prefectural Koudan housing is more family oriented and based on a lottery system. Although it can be more difficult to get into these places, they offer advantages such as not requiring gift money or extension fees.